UFC heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik plans to call out Francis Ngannou if he beats Alistair Overeem this weekend in the main event of UFC Washington, D.C.
Rozenstruik filled in on short notice for Walt Harris and is set to take on by far the biggest challenge of his MMA when he faces Overeem this weekend. Though Rozenstruik still needs to get by Overeem, he’s already thinking about who he wants to call out if he wins the fight, and that callout will be directed towards Ngannou.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani recently, Rozenstruik said that he wants to fight Ngannou because he views it as a challenge, and also because it’s an entertaining fight for the fans between “two big scary guys.” Here’s what Rozenstruik said via his Instagram.
“For me, beating Alistair Overeem means a lot, but the fight I’m looking for is the Francis Ngannou fight. He’s a big, scary guy and I think that’s amazing. You put two big heavyweights who are strong and hit hard to create a bomb in the Octagon. I like exciting fights. To me, that would be a great fight. That’s the goal for now,” Rozenstruik said.
“We’re looking to be the best fighter in the world. In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. We are professionals and I like that fight, me against Francis Ngannou, two big scary guys. That’s exciting for me, that’s a big challenge. I really want to do that challenge also for myself and also to entertain the UFC fans. I think everybody wants to see that fight.”
Rozenstruik is unbeaten so far at 9-0 in his professional MMA career, including a 3-0 mark in the Octagon with three knockouts. Overeem is his stiffest challenge yet and the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion has looked in good form as of late with two straight wins coming into this fight. Should Rozenstruik get his hand raised, a fight against Ngannou, who is currently without an opponent, makes a lot of sense for both parties involved.
Are you interested in a matchup between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Francis Ngannou if Rozenstruik gets by Alistair Overeem this weekend?